Gas-engine



3 sheets-sheet 1.

(MMM) A J/PIBRGB GAS ENGINE. l

16.564,643. Patented July 26, 1896.

'nu 9mm rerum a, mamme. wyswmsmmA u. c.

(No Model.) u 3 Sheets-Sheet 2..

A. J. PIERCE.

A GAS ENGINE.

No. 564,643. Patented Ju1y2 8,f1896.

mi "A AII I? u s i ,Q y IKM* Hi Qs u l TME nouns mns m. mmoujmo. wAsmncron. n c.

asheets sheet 3.

(No Model.)

A. J.v PIERCE. GAS ENGINE.

Patented July 28, 1896;

f U c M f/ U M M U J y j w UNITED STATES yParlnvfl OFFICE.

ANDREW J. PIERCE, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,643, dated July 28, 1896.

Application iiled Tune 7, 1893. Serial No. 476,900. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. PIERCE, of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication.

My invention relates to gas-engines, and will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of a cylinder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an elevation. Fig. 4 is a section showing a modiiication.

A is the cylinder of a gas-engine, and B is the piston. C is an electrode, which, bya setbolt a, is clamped to the vertical arm of an angle-lever b, which lever is hinged to an arm c of a plug d, that passes down through a bushing of insulated material e in the end of the cylinder.

The plug cl is hollow, and its head rests on bushing e, while its lower end is screw-threaded to receive a nut d', and through the plug is passed a rod or plunger D, havinga collar D at its upper end that iits loosely in a countersink in the plug. The extreme upper end of the rod or plunger D projects through a slot in the horizontal arm b'.

The rod or plunger D may be packed in the plug, as at f, and a spring f', one end of which is attached to the nut CZ and the other to the rod or plunger D and serves to support the latter to keep the electrode in place.

By the construction above described I am enabled to use a rigid electrode, which does not depend on its temper for proper action, as the spring that keeps it up to its work is entirely outside of the cylinder.

The plug d is connected to battery by wire and the electrode C may be used either in connection with an electrode E, that is operated by the crank of the engine, as will be described hereinafter, or with an electrode on the piston, as shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. l, 2, and 3 show the upper electrode as operated by the crank of the engine.

A rock-shaft G passes through bearings g g in the upper portion of the combustion-chamber A', and on its projecting end is provided with an arm G, While at its center it has keyed to it a clamp H, which holds the upper electrode E.

The arm G' has a slotted connection with a horizontal rod I, which has bearings h h' in the engine-frame, and an antifriction-head, which is held against the face of the cam K by a spring i. The cam K is carried by a gear-wheel L, and this meshes with a pinion M on the engine-shaft fm. The rod I carries an insulated contact-point O, that is wired to battery, as shown in Fig. 3, and a lug O projects from the engine-frame in the path of the point O.

The pinion and gear-wheels are timed with each other so as to give the cam any desired number of revolutions, say, in this instance, the gear-wheel and its cam revolve once to each two revolutions of the pinion. Now imagine the cam K to be revolving in the direction indicated by the arrow, thus exposing its reduced periphery to the head of rod I, and permitting the rod to be thrust out by the spring. Then the arm Gr will oscillate its shaft and bring the two electrodes C E into and out of contact, producing a spark, for when the contact-points O O touch and a circuit is established, then as the cam continues to revolve, its thicker portion reaching the head of rod I, forces it back, but without moving arm G', owing to the slotted connection between the two, until after the rod has carried its contact-point O clear of that of O' on the engine-frame, and hence at this stroke no explosion will take place, and the ily-wheel (not shown) will make one stroke of the piston.

In Fig. 4 the moving electrode E is carried directly by the piston, and the action of the device is obvious.

The plunger D is headed and fitted loosely in the countersink, that the internal gas-pressure may keep it closed against leakage.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder, having an igniting-chamber thereon, and a piston, of a movable electrode in the chamber, means for moving the same a stationary electrode, a clamp member supporting the same, an insulated sleeve passing IOO piston, a cam driven by said mechanism, a spring-actu ated rod having one end in engagement With the cam, and a sliding connection at its opposite end With the crank-arm, a fixed Contact, a contact carried by said spring-actuated rod, and a circuit connection between the stationary electrode and the contact on the rod, substantially as described.

ANDREW J. PIERCE. litnessesz DAVID H. FLETT, BARBARA WILLIAMS. 

